Night latch



Dec. 5', 1950 l A. F. LlcKrElG 2,533,023

NIGHT LATCH Filed Dec. 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 l/I///// Z0 rgb 43/ :"gc v 7 6444.5;3 4751,30 @f2/@Vlag NVENTOR Dec- 5, 1950 A.- F. LlcKTElG 2,533,023

NIGHT LATCH I Filed Dec. 22, 1945 `Susaeta-sheet 2 2,3@ Z5 NvNToR LER? E LmKTa mms@ Patented Dec. 5, 1950 NIGHT LATCH Albert F. Lickteig,

to National Brass Company,

Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor Grand Rapids,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application December 22, 1945, Serial No. 636,611 6 Claims. (Cl. 292-169) side manual operation, when in its projected or extended position. It is received in a recess provided therefor in a door casing or jamb and is locked against retraction and cannot be moved to unlock the door by attempting to manipulate the keeper engaging head of the latch bolt, or in any other manner except by the key at the outer side of the door or by operating the knob at the inner side. Similarly, Withdrawal of the bolt head to its inoperative position automatically locks and holds the bolt head withdrawn and not releasable except by key or knob. It is the primary object and purpose of the present invention to provide a night latch of exceptionally simple and economical structure, which has the qualities and properties stated, and which is sure and certain in its operations, and which may be readily installed with a minimum of trouble.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which Fig. 1 is a horizontal section through the night latch made in accordance with my invention showing it installed at the vertical edge oi a swinging door, which door is shown fragmentarily in section.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the latch construction with the latch bolt in its extended operative position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken adjacent the inner end of the latch housing.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 2, showing the position of the parts immediately after the projecting bolt head has begun to be withdrawn.

Fig. 5 is a like section with the bolt head fully withdrawn and retained or locked in such position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the interior latch mechanism which 'is housed within the latch housing or casing.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different gures of the drawing.

The door I, upon which the latch is installed or mounted, is bored from its free vertical edge inwardly for a distance to provide a cylindrical opening 2 for the reception of the latch, and the door is also provided with transverse openings from its inner and outer sides to and communieating with the inner end portion of the cylindrical opening 2.

The latch housing is made of sheet metal in two parts or halves each in two sections, including a semi-cylindrical outer section 3, and an inner channel section 4, with inner end iianges 5, which may be secured together in any suitable manner, for example, as shown in prior constructions devised by me. Also at the outer ends of the vsemi-cylindrical section 3 short semicylindrical sections 6 of reduced diameter are made, over which a cup 1 is telescoped and releasably secured in a suitable manner. A face plate 8 is welded or otherwise permanently secured at the outer side of the bottom of the cup, and is adapted to be received in a mortised recess in the edge of the door (Fig. 1) in securing the latch to the door after it has been inserted into the cylindrical opening 2 in the door. In the bottom of the cup and plate 8 openings in conjunction with each other are made for the slidable passage of the head of the night latch bolt.

The vertical sides or webs of the inner channel sections 4 of the housing each have circular openings 9 therethrough spaced from each other as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. At the outer side of the door a rose or escutcheon is disposed, having cylindrical posts II extending therefrom and passing through said openings 9 (Fig. 1) nearly to the inner sides of the door I. An inner escutcheon I2 is located at the inner side of the door through which screws I3 vpass threading into the posts `I I, the escutcheons IU and I2 covering the transverse openings made through the door. A manually operated knob IA at the inner side of the escutcheon plate I2 has a rotatable stem I5 extending through said escutcheon. The stem is divided between opposed sides making a slot in which an operating bar I6 is held, and which at its inner end is connected with one side of a rollback within the latch housing, which will be later described.

The key indicated at I'I (Fig. 1) is for the operation of a key actuated lock, generally indicated at I8, at the inner end of which a disc I is held by inwardly bent tongues 20. From the disc I9 f a bar 2| extends through the roll back and has its opposite end I6 connected with the knob I4. Therefore, the roll back may be operated from Yeither side of the door, by means of the key I1 at the outer side ci the door. and the knob I4 ai the inner side. In practice the disk I9 is associated with an escapement in the housing from which the tongues 2u extend which permits a free rotation of the disk I9 on turning the knob I4 whereby the bolt 26 may be controlled by the knob I4 without the barrel of the lock I8 being turned, but a turning or rotation of the barrel of the lock IS, by such escapement mechanism is connected with the disk I9 'so that the bolt 2t may be independently operated by the key I1. This structure is no part of the present invention and many ways other than the escapement mechanism which is used in practice may be used, therefore it is not specically kshown and described.

The rol] back is mounted between the sides of the inner end portion of the latch housing and, as best shown in Fig. 6 is constructed from sheet metal with two spaced apart sides or arms 22 integrally connected at one end by a cross member 23, and having a lcross pin v2li secured to and ,extending between the opposite ends of said arms. .Each of said arms toward the end thereof connected Aby member 23 is provided with an outwardly pressed embossing 22a, circular in outline and which are mounted in complementary circular openings in the webs of the channel sections fi, thereby mounting the roll back for rocking movements above a horizontal axis. Each of the embossings 22a has a rectangular slot 25, through it, shaped to receive the bar 2 l The latch bolt head 2t passes through the openings through the plate -S and bottom of cup l, and `may -be moved from an outward position, as in Figs. l and 2, to :a retracted position as in Eig. 5. A :dat bar 2l is permanently secured at its outer end to the bolt head 26 and extends inwardly lengthwise of the latch housing. At its inner end portion itis formed with two spaced downwardly extending fingers 28 Vand 2t, with a recess between the ngers open -at its lower end in which the transverse pin 2.4. 'carried `between roll back i received. (Fig. 4.) It is evident-.that by turning the roll back in a clockwise direction, pin 24 engaging against the finger 29 will lwithdraw the bolt head 2e. The bolt, normally when free, is acted upon `4for projection 4 (mt-v.ardly by aV spring, the mounting and installation of which will ynow be Clescribed.

A transverse pin 2.o extends through the latch housing at a poi-nt approximately midway between itsends and near its lower side. A leveris mounted for rocking movement on the pin. The lever is made from dat stock and has an arm 43i extending forwardly from pin @9, which, at its free forward. end, is provided with a laterally ltur-ned lug yS2. The intermediate Iportionor body of the lever, shown at 33,:extends upwardly above the pin 3G, and .has anfouinvardl-y extending nnger Sil, over which the inner end portion of a coiled compression spring -is located, the outer end of the spring being seated against the .rear end of the bolt head and around a nul; 36 extending rearwardly therefrom. Its evident that the spring normally acts to project the vbolt head in an outward direction, and also that it tends to turn the lever 33 in ya clockwise .direction about the vpivot pin 35.

From the upper portion of the `hodyfl of the lever an arm El extends lto .the rear, alongside the .rear portion of bar fil, and over the rollback pin 24. Said arm .3l at its rear end terminates in a .down turned .tail piece 3S. .At its under edge it is .formed with two spaced downwardly extending V:projections 39 and 4U, the former located .a short distance ahead of the tail piece 38, and with its rear side joining with the forward edge of the tail piece to make a concave recess 4i as shown. The forward projection 4l! at; its front side or edge joins with the rear edge of the body 33 making a similar recess d2, in which recesses the pin 24 may seat in the operations of the latch.

A .second bar 3 of ilat stock is connected to the bolt head Z, and extends back thereof at its lower side. A short distance back of the head 26 it is provided with a notch or recess 44 between the front end portion of the bar and an intermediate portion 45. At the rear end of the intermediate section i5 a second vertical slot 45 is made between it and a downwardly extending tongue il at the rear end of said plate. The

recesses all and :l are open at their lower ends and are adapted to receive the laterally turned lug 32 at the forward end arm 3i, which lug seats in the recess lll when the bolt head is retracted, and the recess et when the holt head is at its outward position (Fig. 2). The spring 35 .turns ythe lever having the arm 3l in a clockwise direction so as to normally insure that the lug 32 is disposed in either one or the other of said recesses to lock the latch bolt in either its outeror inner positions.

With the projected bolt head 2li in operative engagement with a door casing keeper therefor, the parts oi the latch mechanism are in the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The roll `back carried pin 213 is seated in the front, recess 42 vat the juncture of the `body 33 and arm 3l voi lthe lever actuated by spring 35, so .that a `suiiicient clockwise movement .of the lever is permitted to elevate lug 32 into the recess Alt. With thelug seated in such recess, the latch bolt head .25 is held against` move-ment. The only way that is `provided. for moving lug out of recess 45 is to turn `the roll back in a clockwise direction either by the key il `or the knobV lffl. When this occurs the pin 2d moves underneath the downwardly extending projection do, and is also elevated to some extent by reason of its arc of movement, turning the arm .3i in a downward direction to the position shown in vFig. 4, `and movi-ng said lug 32 out o the recess fit. A `continuation of .the roll back movement to the `rear moves bar .2l .and attached head 25 inwardly as pin 24 engages the iinger 29, the lever 3l remaining in its lowered position until the pin has passed by the projection it and has Vcome to the recess at 4l. The lower edge o :the arm 3l between .projections itil and -is in an arc of a .circle, the radius oi which is from the axis of rotation .of ther-oil baci; to the outer side .of pin 243-. When vthe pin .24 reaches .the recess at 4 l the lever is rejleased for clockwise movement under the pressure of :spring V35 and lug 32 is llifted into the front recess Ms, the head 2S `and the foar i3 thereon `in which :the recess All made having been retracted to bring such recess immediately above ithe .lug 32..

The holt is ther-crore retained its 4retracted position .as in Fig. 5. To release the bolt the key or the knob l/l turned in the opposite direction, .causes pin 2li to ride underneath the =pro jection again turning the pivotally mounted lever to its down position, as in Fig. 4l, andit is .held in :such position vduring .the outward movement of the .head .2e .and untilsaid roll back pin .-243 vcomes to lthe recess 42, .and .the lever `is .again .freed to Ahe Aturned to lift lug `32 into .the recess Vlit, kas inl'igs. 2 .and 6.

The rear end of the bar 2, that is the rear or inner edge of the finger 29 coming against the end 5 of the housing provides a stop against inward movement of the head 26 beyond a position in which it is fully released from its keeper.

With the construction described, avery simple and effective organization and combining of parts is provided to make a night latch having the desirable properties and functions stated. One spring only is required to normally project the latch head and to move the locking lever` to operative locking engagements with the bar 43. The parts are few in number and very readily stamped from sheet or fiat metal, their assembly is expeditiously performed and the installation on the door of the most economical type and character.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming withing their scope.

I claim:

1. A latch including, an elongated housing, a latch bolt having a bolt head at its outer end extending through the outer end of the housing, a roll back mounted toward the inner end of the housing for rocking movement, means for operating said roll back, operative connections between the roll back and bolt for retracting the bolt on movement of the roll back in one direction, a movably mounted member located within the housing, spring means between said member and the bolt head for moving the bolt outwardly, cooperating means on said member `and on said bolt for locking said bolt in either its inner or outer positions when moved thereto, and means on said movable member in association with and operatively moved by said roll back for releasing the bolt for movement on manual operation of the roll back at the beginning of such manual operation and at either the position of the roll back when the bolt is projected or when it is withdrawn.

2. A latch including, an elongated housing closed at its inner end and having an opening at its outer end, a latch bolt slidably mounted in said housing having a head passing through said outer opening, a roll back mounted for turning about an axis transverse of the housing located at the inner end thereof, operative connections between the roll back and the latch bolt for withdrawing the bolt when the roll back is turned to the rear, a pivotally mounted lever within said housing having an arm extending rearwardly over said roll back, said roll back having a transverse pin and the lower edge of the arm having spaced downwardly extending projections and a pin receiving recess in front of the front projection and back of the rear projecticn, said lever having a second arm extending in forward direction toward said bolt head, said second arm at its free end having a lateral lug, a bar secured to and extending rearwardly from the bolt head provided with forward and rear recesses, each adapted to receive said lug, compression spring means between the bolt head and said lever normally acting to elevate said 6 second arm, and means for independently manually operating said roll back between a forward and a rear position in which positions the pin or said roll back is seated in said recesses on the first arm of the lever extending thereover.

3. A construction as defined in claim 2, said compression spring means comprising a coiled spring, a rearwardly extending knob on the bolt head over which the front end portion cf the spring extends, said lever above its pivot having a forwardly extending nger over which the rear end portion of the spring'is located, the rear end of the spring bearing against the intermediate portion of the lever between the arms thereof.

4. A latch construction comprising, an elongated housing having an opening at its outer end, a latch bolt slidably mounted lengthwise of the housing having a head passing through said outer end opening, manually operated means for independently retracting the latch bolt, one at each of opposite sides of the housing, roll back means within the housing connected with each of Said manually operable means for movement thereby, operative connections between the latch bolt and said roll back for retracting the latch bolt on movement of the roll back in one direction, movably mounted means within the housing and extending between the bolt head and roll back, having an end portion adapted to be operated by the roll back in its movements and an opposite end portion extending toward the head of said bolt, means connected with said bolt head with which said last mentioned end portion of said movable means engages when the bolt is at either its fully retracted or fully projected positions, said means being releasable by the roll back movements, and spring means between said movable means and the bolt head for moving the bolt outwardly when free to do so.

5. A latch comprising a housing, a latch bolt slidable in said housing, manually operated means for retracting the latch bolt, a locking member within the housing having a portion movable into locking engagement with said bolt and movable into unlocked position by movement of said manual retracting means, and a single spring acting between said locking member and said latch boit to extend the latch bolt and to hold the locking member in locking position.

6. The elements of claim 5 in which said locking member moves into locking engagement with said latch bolt in both extended and retracted positions.

ALBERT F. LICKTEIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,617,001 Wread Feb. 8, 1927 2,124,897 Shaw July 26, 1938 2,369,873 Voight Feb. 20, 1945 2,379,810 Ledin et al. July 3, 1945 

